Batting first in wet, blustery conditions, the Uplyme openers Clarke and Tyler reached 17 without loss before the former was bowls just as a heavy rain shower swept across the ground. This was one of frequent stoppages for rain. On the restart batting was no easier and Uplyme suffered further losses of Henry Perry, Dave Norman and Will Marshall, the latter making his debut.

When Wellman was run out from a direct hit the innings was in tatters at 25-5!

It was left to Australian Nick Dennison to try and restore some order. He seemed to be doing so until, on 15, he was also bowled by the home opening bowler who went on to claim five wickets. Despite lower order application from brothers Wesley and Daley Holmes the innings folded leaving Shobrook 65 for victory.

Uplyme came out fighting and the opening pair of Dennison and fellow Australian Charlie Warner soon made inroads into the Shobrooke line up, each taking two wickets. With Shobrooke closing in on their target Wesley Holmes was brought into the attack and was unlucky to have two difficult catches put down in his opening over. Skipper Rod Holmes then turned to the off spin of Daley Holmes to try to remove the home skipper who stood firm and took his side through to a five wicket victory with an unbeaten 31.

As the saying goes, all good things come to an end, and so it proved last night at the Oak Tree Arena, as ‘Cases’ Somerset Rebels unbeaten home run came to an end with a shock defeat at the hands of local rivals the Plymouth Devils, writes Dave Thompson.